Chapter 4 Pronunciations
167
the, et cetera, nuclear, vehicle, vehicular
Michael Friedmann, WTIC-TV in Hartford, gets us started on
today's pronunciation lesson:
".... the word `the' : I always thought it is pronounced THUH
before words beginning with a consonant and THEE before
words starting with a vowel. It sounds better this way and
sounds almost linguistically labored to say THUH before a
vowel word. But common folk and reporters and anchors are
running wild with this one. Have you noticed? THUH area ...
THUH evening ...THUH afternoon ...THUH only thing ...THUH
eighties ... Am I the only one left here who still says THEE area,
THEE only... etc.?"
Mrs. B hopes not, though "the" may be pronounced THEE for
emphasis, even in front of a word beginning with a consonant.
Pause for a moment to contemplate the little word "etc.," short for
ET CETERA, Latin for "and the rest."
Notice there is no "k" in the first syllable.
It's ET cetera, not EK cetera.
NUCLEAR is NEW-clee-er, not "NUKE-you-ler" and not NEW-
cue-ler.
And, finally, from Terry Allen:
"...one of my peeves is the word `vehicle,' which often is
mispronounced VEE-hickel. That just drives me up the wall..."
The "h" is silent: VEE-ickel.
But in VEHICULAR, let `er go: vee-HIC-u-ler.